The project objective to delineate the various functions that medical recordkeeping procedures play in the management of psychiatric patients. Specifically the project, a) assesses the actual relationship of the medical record to patient treatment, planning and evaluation, b) specifies the information necessary for patient management, c) documents record utilization by professional and paraprofessional staff, d) analyzes the sections of the record that are and are not accessed with what frequency, duration and purpose and e) documents patterns of record utilization based on unit type (general psychiatry, alcohol abuse, gerontology), setting (inpatient, outpatient, community mental health center) and facility type (state, federal or local support). The project further addresses issues of data entry and display in the record (Source oriented, problem-oriented and goal attainment models), and discusses the role of automated procedures for entering and accessing information. Implications of medical recordkeeping procedures for Professional Standards Review Organizations, peer review and utilization review are under investigation.